Most businesses build up hazardous waste between collections: a few drums of waste oil, a cage of fluorescent tubes, tins of old paint, used spill kit absorbents. There are rules on how long you can keep it and how it must be stored. Get them wrong and you could need an environmental permit you don’t have.
The 12 month rule
In England, you can store waste at the place where you produced it, while you wait for it to be collected, under an exemption known as NWFD 2 (temporary storage at the place of production). It covers any type of waste, including hazardous waste, as long as:
- you produced the waste yourself
- you store it at the place where it was produced
- you store it for no more than 12 months
- it’s stored securely, so it can’t escape from its container and the public can’t get to it
You don’t need to register this exemption and there’s no fee. But if you store waste for longer than 12 months, take in waste from other sites, or store it somewhere other than where it was produced, you’ll need a different exemption or an environmental permit.
Twelve months is a maximum, not a target. For most hazardous waste, regular collections are safer and cheaper than a big clear-out once a year.
How to store hazardous waste safely
Keep each type separate. It’s illegal to mix hazardous waste with non-hazardous waste, or different hazardous wastes together. Give each waste stream its own clearly labelled container. Our guide to whether your waste is hazardous explains how to identify each type.
Use the right containers. Containers should be in good condition, compatible with what’s inside them and kept closed. Don’t reuse a container that held something that could react with the new contents.
Label everything. Each container should show what’s inside, its hazards and the date you started filling it. That date is how you prove you’re within the 12 month limit.
Contain liquids. Store drums of oil, fuel, solvents and chemicals on a bund or drip tray that can hold spills. If you store 201 litres or more of oil at a business in England or Wales, the oil storage rules require secondary containment that holds 110% of the container’s capacity. Keep a spill kit nearby. See our guide to oil spill kits.
Protect it from the weather. Rain can wash contaminants into drains, and sunlight damages plastic containers. Store under cover, on hardstanding, away from drains.
Secure it. Lock the store or cage it off, especially if the public or other site users could get to it.
Storage tips for common hazardous wastes
| Waste | How to store it |
|---|---|
| Waste oil and fuel | Sealed drums or an IBC on a bund, away from drains |
| Oily rags and absorbents | Sealed metal bin with a lid, away from heat |
| Fluorescent tubes | Whole, in a dedicated tube box or cage so they don’t break |
| Lead acid batteries | Upright, on an acid resistant tray, terminals protected |
| Lithium batteries | Terminals taped, in a metal container, damaged ones quarantined (see our lithium battery guide) |
| Paints, solvents and chemicals | Lids on, in original containers where possible, in a ventilated store (see disposing of trade paint and solvents) |
| Asbestos | Double wrapped and labelled, in a locked, lined skip or secure area |
Other rules that apply
- Health and safety. Hazardous substances, including waste, must be covered by your COSHH assessment. Flammable waste should also be considered under your fire risk assessment.
- Wales. If your premises produce or store more than 500kg of hazardous waste a year, you must register with Natural Resources Wales.
- Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own exemption systems, so check with SEPA or NIEA.
When it’s collected
Every hazardous waste collection needs a consignment note, and you must keep your copy for three years. Check the carrier is registered and the destination is permitted to accept the waste.
Need regular hazardous waste collections?
Select A Skip can set up scheduled collections so waste never sits on site for longer than it needs to, with containers and paperwork included. See our hazardous waste services, get a quote or call 01743 341 000.
Sources: GOV.UK, Waste exemption NWFD 2: temporary storage at the place of production; GOV.UK, Storing oil at a home or business; Natural Resources Wales.